Oglethorpe County Fire and Rescue is a recent merger of multiple independent (not under the jurisdiction of a city or county) fire departments and now includes responsibility for the county’s rescue response. All the stations that fall under Oglethorpe County Fire Rescue now answer to a single chief and work closely with other fire departments, Emergency Medical Services, the Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies to provide emergency response. Medical assistance is a new risk to the department. Increasing call volume on Emergency Medical staff has put a higher risk on the volunteer firefighters who are also trained as Emergency Medical Responders. The department is comprised of all volunteers and provides training in-house to meet the requirements of the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council. The initial training curriculum includes structural and wildland firefighting, HAZMAT Awareness, and basic CPR and First Aid. Additional training is provided through the Georgia Fire Academy.
Oglethorpe County Fire Rescue is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charity and community service corporation. We are in a rural/agricultural area with little assistance from the local government. As we are not fully tax-supported, we must rely on fundraisers, donations, and grants in order to operate
Oglethorpe County Fire Rescue protects several buildings that are considered critical infrastructure including Oglethorpe County Primary School, Oglethorpe County Elementary School, Oglethorpe County Middle School, Oglethorpe County High School, Quiet Oaks Nursing Home, MedLink, several bridges, water treatment plants, industrial sites, and several food-animal agricultural sites.